Fall Camp Diagnosis: What Ohio State position groups are championship caliber?

Two weeks ago, we published an article that posed the question: What Texas football position groups are championship caliber?

Going through each position, we pinpointed spots where there may be concern, a flat-out poor group, or one that is obviously at the level of a national champion. This stemmed from Texas’ No. 1 rating in both the coaches and AP Poll, a ranking that received some backlash from outsiders because Texas hasn’t been to a national title game. How could they be the best team in the nation without the recent success that other No. 1 teams have possessed?

One team that knows a lot about being No. 1 is Ohio State, Texas’ Week 1 host in one of the most anticipated early-season games in the history of the sport. Ohio State is fresh off a national championship, so anyone close to the program knows what it takes for a team to win it all.

That’s why we enlisted the help of Spencer Holbrook, a beat writer for Letterman Row, Ohio State’s On3/Rivals affiliate. Holbrook was there to witness what a national champion looked like just months ago and has been following the Buckeyes’ fall camp closer than anyone.

So we proposed the same question to him: What Ohio State football position groups are championship caliber?

QB:

Ohio State has been preparing second-year QB Julian Sayin all offseason for this game — his first career start, against one of the best defenses in the nation. Sayin was one of the highest-rated QBs in the class of 2024, and Spencer has confidence in the youngster this season.

“Yes, Julian Sayin is at least 6’1, and he’s put on some good muscle this offseason to prepare for a full season of work as the starter,” Holbrook said. “He’s going to have growing pains, whether they come against Texas or anywhere else on the schedule — as will Arch Manning. But his ceiling absolutely gives Ohio State a championship-caliber quarterback. He’ll need to come close to hitting it in Year One as a starter.”

RB:

Ohio State lost both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to the draft, their only two contributors at the RB position in 2024. Will the new combo be good enough to win a national championship?

“Yes. It’s going to be a two-man backfield between Texas native James Peoples and a recently trimmed-down CJ Donaldson, formerly of West Virginia. Ohio State is thrilled with the offseason progress here and expects championship-level play from its two new starting backs. A step back, perhaps, from Henderson and Judkins. Still good enough, though.”

Pass Catcher:

Do you really need us to explain this one?

“It’s an easy yes. Jeremiah Smith is the best WR in college football, and Carnell Tate might be the best WR2. Brandon Inniss is the new starting slot receiver and will be a huge piece of this offense, especially if you look at Ryan Day’s offensive track record of slot production. Ohio State added Purdue transfer Max Klare to make it even harder to defend all of the weapons. He’ll be a threat in the pass game as so much attention goes to Smith.”

OL:

This is a big question for both teams. Ohio State lost four of its starters from 2024, but with so many injuries suffered by the group last year, many of their incoming starters have already gotten enough experience to inspire confidence. Still, is this group going to be good enough to face off against defenses like Texas’?

“It’s a hard maybe, leaning toward yes. Ohio State returns its starting center from the Cotton Bowl, both starting guards from the Cotton Bowl, and a swing OL who started multiple games and will now take over at LT. The starting RT is a Minnesota transfer who started for the Gophers. The Buckeyes are ecstatic with what they have on the offensive line, and they think it could be a strength — especially in the run game.”

DL:

On defense, Ohio State saw all four of its starting defensive linemen head to the draft, most notably losing the duo of JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, who sealed the Cotton Bowl for the Buckeyes last season. Texas’ offensive line has its own problems, but how will they look lined up against this new-look OSU group?

“Lean toward no at DT and yes at DE. The starting DTs are elite, but the backup options simply aren’t a known quantity right now, especially with Hero Kanu now at Texas. Defensive end has a lot to replace, but Kenyatta Jackson is a top-50 prospect for next year’s NFL Draft already, and his supporting cast is veteran-laden. We’re in wait-and-see mode at defensive tackle for now.”

LB:

This is another position that is locked and loaded with NFL talent for 2025.

“A resounding yes. Sonny Styles should be in the NFL right now, but he chose a senior season to be a captain for Ohio State. And third-year linebacker Arvell Reese is drawing praise as one of the most athletically freaky players on the roster. They form a Butkus Watch List tandem that rivals most duos in the country — much like the duo at Texas is also elite.”

DBs:

Ohio State lost three starters from last year and only has one truly proven player left in the group in star safety Caleb Downs. Downs is a given to be the centerpiece of this OSU defense, but there are still lingering questions about the rest of this unit.

“Yes, if Ohio State is right that it has corrected the issues that plagued Davison Igbinosun from last year. The Buckeyes feel like they’ll get the 2023 version of him, who was a really strong CB2, to go along with long-time contributor and new full-time starter Jermaine Mathews, who is likely going to be CB1. And Devin Sanchez, a Texas native and former five-star, will play a lot. Downs raises the floor of the secondary tremendously, and the starting safety opposite him has a shot to shine, whether that’s Jaylen McClain or Malik Hartford. Nickel is a question mark, but one that could be solved in a group effort.”

That last sentence sounds eerily familiar.

Special Teams:

“Well, Jayden Fielding, the starting kicker, made the game-sealing kick in the national title game — but missed two chip-shot field goals against Michigan last year. And the punter was good when needed, but he wasn’t elite. The long snapper and holder return from the title team, too. They were good enough to win it all last year, but the operation should be better considering what the Ohio State standard is program-wide. So ‘yes?’ would be my answer.”

It sounds like there is a similar level of confidence in Columbus as there is in Austin, as Spencer sees every position as one that can play for a title. There still remain question marks, like Sayin’s ability to take on Texas in the first week as well as the strength of their trenches, but the stage is set for an incredible matchup between these two schools.